1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to exercise equipment and relates specifically to a body stretching apparatus.
2. Prior Art
Fitness enthusiasts, runners, gymnasts, athletes, and low back pain sufferers are encouraged to stretch to increase flexibility and reduce injuries. The hamstring muscles and muscles in the lower back area are especially important to keep flexible because these muscle groups tend to tighten as we get older and can cause lower back pain and other injuries. People who have suffered a back injury or stroke, find stretching exercises therapeutic in rehabilitating the back injury or in treating neurologically-induced muscle tightness.
One of the most common ways to stretch these muscle groups is by sitting on the floor, with legs straight in front, reaching toward the toes, in a "pike" position. This maneuver is difficult and uncomfortable for most people. The ideal stretch requires stretching slowly and gradually, holding each stretch for 10-30 seconds. This allows muscle fibers to stretch to their maximum. Many people overstretch the muscles by bouncing. This can cause tears in the muscle fibers and ligaments, causing very painful injuries. It has been documented in exercise physiology that "static" stretching (slow, gradual, in stages) is much more effective than "ballistic" (bouncing) stretching. Improper stretching technique may be particularly hazardous to persons rehabilitating a back injury.
In the past, various types of leg stretching apparatus have been used. However, many apply to martial arts training and ballet in which flexibility is enhanced by stretching in the "split" position, which primarily stretches the inner thigh muscles.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,277,062 to Mark Lawrence discloses a leg stretching apparatus utilizing a cable-pulley system in which the legs are stretched into a "split" position, stretching the inner thigh muscles.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,456,247 to Ted Ehrenfried relates to an apparatus that utilizes a hand cranking device that also stretches the legs into a "split" position.
While the Lawrence and Ehrenfried devices are good for martial arts training or ballet, the present invention is practical for any age group whether athletic or non-athletic.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,004,228 ('228 patent) to Scott Powers discloses a leg stretching apparatus having two handgrip placement straps which are connected to a foot support member.
The device disclosed by the '228 patent is subject to a number of improvements. First, the device does not have an immediately apparent indicator of a user's flexibility level. Second, although the handgrips the '228 patent discloses are adequate for most purposes, the handgrips are not ideally shaped for users with gripping limitations, such as stroke and arthritis patients, accident victims, and children. A third problem is that persons with back injuries may aggravate the injury by positioning their pelvis or back in an inappropriate position in performing a stretching exercise. This type of injury aggravation may occur when the operator of the leg stretching apparatus fails to keep his lower back "in" instead of "out." When the lower back is positioned "out," the back is rounded and the operator stretches in the lower back. Ideally, the stretching should be done in the area of the hamstring muscles.
Another known method for stretching is the "towel" stretch. The towel is wrapped around the feet and the operator grasps the ends of the towel to stretch similar to the present invention. However, there are several disadvantages: there are no handgrips to hold, it is harder to stretch in even stages, and there are no means to measure the improvement in flexibility.